Conveyer.



Patented Mb. 30, I902. C. J. ALLEN.

C 0 N V E Y E R (Application filed June 4, 1902.)

(No Model.)

" ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. ALLEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,063, dated December 30, 1902. Application filed June 4, 1902. Serial No. 110,173. (No model.)

To a, whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, CHARLES J. ALLEN,a citizen of theUnited States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Conveyers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in excavating and conveying apparatus. Its object is to provide a simple means by which a burden-carrier may be taken up at one point, moved to a place of discharge, and the carrier returned to the point of beginning by gravity.

It consists of a rigid inclined single track, hoisting and fall cables, respectively, attached to the higher and lower ends of said track, sheaves supported in line with and at points above the respective ends of the tracks and through which said cables pass, the fallcable adapted to raise or lower in unison with the hoisting-cable, a burden-carrier comprising a trolley and bucket, said trolley adapted to be easily engaged with and disengaged from said cables and having antifrictional guides engaging the sides of the track, said bucket consisting of a hinged tilting scoop, and means for locking the bail and scoop when the latter is to be hoisted.

It also comprises details which will be more fully set forth hereinafter, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the trolley. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lower end of the track. Fig. 5 is a View of a bucket. Fig. 6 shows an adjustable rest for the tracksupporting timbers. Fig. 7 shows a section of a mast notched to receive the device shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 8 are details to be referred to.

A represents a framework of any suitable construction. In the present instance I have shown it consisting of single masts carrying cross-arms which support the inclined rigid track 2.

It is frequently necessary in excavating for buildings to take up the earth from a point much below the street-level. It is customary to load the dirt upon wagons and then by means of teams to pull the load up the steep inclineinto the street. Such a process is necessarily slow, tedious, and expensive. I contemplate the use of scrapers to gather the load, then to hoist these loaded scrapers up onto the track, have them run out by gravity to the street, and there discharge into wagons and then to return by gravity to such point as desired. A hoisting-cable 3 is secured to the higher end of the track and runs through a sheave 4:, secured at a point above the end of and in line with the track. The other end of the cable attaches to a drum of an engine or any other suitable hoisting means. The top of the track immediately adjacent to the end is grooved to receive the cable to guide and hold the latter when a load is being gathered or hoisted.

In order to more effectually prevent displacement of the cable, the end of the track may be socketed to receive a flexible member, as a coil-spring 5, which has one end secured to the track and the other engaging a band which embraces the immediately adjacent portion of the cable, as shown in Figs. 8, 8. While this spring will straighten out to allow the trolley-carrier to roll from the cable onto the track when the cable is wound up, it will cause the latter immediately to return into the groove in the end of the track the moment the tension on the cable is released. The trolley comprises a block 6,having a sheave 7 journaled at one end and carrying a fall-block 8 at the other. One side'of the block 6 is cut away to allow the trolley-sheave 7 to be hooked over the cables and to accommodate the track in the space intermediate of the sheave and the fall-block. Antifrictional roller-guides 6 6 engage opposite sides of the track, render the use of a single track possible, and prevent displacement of the trolley thereon. The fall block is supported upon a line 9, which has one end secured to the trolley-block at 10 and the other end passes two or three times around a small drum 11, journaled in the opposite side of the trolley-block. The free end of the line may be suitably engaged and held, as at 12. The drum 11 carries a ratchet 13, engaging a pawl 14 on the trolley-block, whereby the drum is held against turning when the fall-block: is to be lowered by the line 9, so that the latter slips on the drum, the friction serving to prevent too-rapid descent of the fall-block and its load. The line is hauled up with little effort, as the pawl allows the drum to turn.

15 is a bucket in the shape of a scoop or ordinary dirt-scraper, having the bail 16 pivoted at a point below and back of the center of the scoop, that the latter will always tend to tilt forward. A latch 17 is pivoted to the bail and is adapted when the bail stands at right angles to the bucket to engage a notch in the side of the latter and hold it in upright position for purposes of overhead transportation.

18 represents straps in which handles may be inserted when it is desired to use the bucket as a scraper and which serve as stops when the bucket is suspended to limit its tipping movement.

In operation the scoop is filled in any suitable manner. It may be by a team or by means of the hoist, as indicated in dotted plementary fall-line 9.

lines in Fig. 1. Thus loaded it is lifted till the trolley runs from the cable onto the track 2. Thence by gravity it proceeds to a point of discharge, where the latch 17 is tripped. Ordinarily it is not necessary to use the sup- It is only intended to use it in case the height be too great or the material of such character that it is desired to dump with as little commotion of the load as possible. The trolley and the empty bucket are then returned by any suitable means. It may be by a traction-line and over the same section of track just traveled over.

In the present instance I have shown the track with a return-bend and the lower terminal adjacent to the hoistingpoint. .The lower end of the track has a fall-rope 19 attached to it, which leads thence through a sheave 20 above and in line with that end of the track, thence down and through a sheave 21 near the base of the frame A. The free end of the fall-rope is secured to a block 22, which has one side cut away, so that it can be hooked onto the hoisting-cable 3 behind the trolley. The track end of the fall-rope attaches to a metal bar or plate 23, which is pivoted in the end of the track and oscillates in a vertical plane coincident with the track. The end of the bar 23 is rounded and projects above the track except when the fall-rope is drawn taut. The comparative heights of the two ends of the track, the length of the fallrope, and the disposition of sheave 21 are such that as the rope 3 is hoisted to its highest point to run the trolley, with its loaded bucket, onto the track the fall-rope will be brought taut to tilt the stop-bar 23 and allow the trolley of an empty bucketto leave the track and run upon the fall. The weight of the empty bucket is suflicient to draw down the hoisting-cable 3 in its descent. Thus the pivoted bar 23 operates as a stop to prevent more than one trolley being upon the fall at one time and allows that trolley only to come thereon after the hoisting-cable has been relieved of its load.

This device is suitable for use in building, where it is desired to deliver concrete, brick, &c., at various points around the walls. The track is made to follow the contour of the wall, being suitably inclined and rounded at the corners to permit the carriage to run freely.

It may be desired from time to time to raise or lower the track on the masts or vary the inclination of the track, according to the character of the load to be transported. Accordingly the track-supporting timbers instead of being immovably secured to the masts may seat in sockets 24, integral with U-shaped collars 25, slidable on the masts A. These collars have perforated lugs 26, through which bolts fitting in notches 27 in the masts pass to clamp them fast to the masts. The collars may be made with single horizontal or inclined sockets, if preferred.

A vertically-adjustable tram of this character is useful in many instancesas, for example, in the rearing of a building, where it is desired to deliver material on the walls as the work progresses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. Aconveying apparatus, consisting in the combination of a single rigid inclined track, a burden-carrier adapted to travel thereover, a cable secured to each end of said track, guide-sheaves therefor, and connections between said cables whereby they are raised and lowered inv unison.

2. A conveying apparatus consisting in the combination of a rigid inclined track having a return-bend and the lower terminal adjacent to the higher end, a hoisting-rope secured to the latter end, a fall-rope secured to the lower end, connections between the said ropes by which they are raised and lowered in unison, and a burden-carrier adapted to operate along the track.

3. A conveying apparatus consisting in the combination of a single, rigid inclined track, having a return-bend and the lower terminal adjacent to the higher end of the track, a burden-carrier, a hoisting-rope secured to the higher end of the track, a fall-rope secured to the lower end of the track, guide-sheaves in line with the track and above the respective ends thereof through which said ropes pass, connections between ropes whereby they are raised and lowered in unison, and stop means at the lower end of the track operated by the movement of the ropes by which a carrier is prevented from leaving the track while the hoist is being operated.

4. The combination in a conveying appara* tus of a rigid track, a trolley-carrier operating thereon, a fall-rope connected with one end of said track, said connections consisting of a bar pivoted at-the end of and oscillating in a vertical plane with the track, the upper end of said bar projecting above the track when the fall-rope is slack to offer a stop for the carrier.

5. The combination in a conveying apparatus of a rigid inclined track having a returnbend and the lower terminal adjacent to the higher end, a hoisting-rope adjacent to the latter end, a burden-carrier operating on said track and including a block cut away on one side, a sheave adapted to run on top of the track, antifriction-rollers engaging the sides of the track, a fall-rope having one end secured to the block, and a fall-rope secured to the lower end of the track.

6. In a conveying apparatus, the combination with a. single rigid track, of a trolley-carrier comprising a block adapted to embrace and run upon the track, antifrictional guiderollers upon the block engaging the sides of the track, a fall-line having one end secured in the block, a drum journaled in the block and around which the line passes one or more times and a fall-block supported on said line.

7. In a conveying apparatus, the combination with a rigid track of a trolley-carrier embracing and running thereon, a fall-line having one end secured to the block, a drum journaled in the opposite side of the block, a fall-block supported intermediate of the fixed end of the line and the drum, a pawl and ratchet in connection with said drum and means upon the trolley-block for securing the free end of the line.

8. A conveying apparatus consisting in the combination of a rigid inclined track having itslower terminal point adjacent to the higher end, a hoisting-rope secured at the latter point, a fall-rope secured to the lower end by a stop-bar pivoted in the track and having one end projecting above the track, guide-sheaves through which said ropes pass, a trolley-carrier adapted to be engaged by the hoistingrope and lifted into position upon the track, flexible connections with the track end and the hoisting-rope whereby the latter is normally held over the end of the track, and connections between the fall and hoisting ropes whereby the said stop-bar is tilted into alinement with the track as a loaded carrier is delivered by the hoist upon the track.

9. In a conveying apparatus the combination with track-supporting framing and a track, of collars adj ustably secured to the framing and having sockets for members thereof, and a burden-carrier and operating means.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES J. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, GEo. H. STRONG. 

